Harrow and chain drag



Aug. 22, 1961 s. MOSER HARROW AND CHAIN DRAG 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1958 INVENTOR.

STANLEY L. MOSE R ATTORNEYS Aug. 22, 1961 s. L. MOSER 2,997,115

' HARROW AND CHAIN DRAG Filed Aug. 15, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 q Q3 \Q I] M O H m m if] INVENTOR. a STANLEY L. MOSER ATTORNEYS Aug. 22, 1961 s. MOSER HARROW AND CHAIN DRAG 3 t 9 e h s S t e e h s 3 Filed Aug. 15, 1958 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,997,115 HARROW AND CHAIN DRAG Stanley L. Moser, 20937 Inkster Road, Detroit, Mich. Filed Aug. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 755,273 1 Claim. (Cl. 172-189) This invention relates to improvements in grading apparatus, and more particularly to a grading apparatus especially adapted for use with a tractor or the like.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a grading device which may be easily and quickly mounted on a tractor and be. used for moving earth, and for pulverizing the earth while yet leaving the ground smooth after a pulverizing operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel and improved grading apparatus which is simple and compact, economical of manufacture and etficient in operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a grading apparatus provided with a plurality of rows of detachably mounted spike teeth which are carried on an angle iron frame and which apparatus is further provided with a chain on the rearward end thereof adapted to smooth the ground after it has been pulverized by the spike teeth.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a grading apparatus made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken in the direction of the arrow marked 2;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view partly in section of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken along the line 3 3 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken along the line i -4 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken along the line 55 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a rear end elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 and showing it mounted on a tractor;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6, taken in the direction of the arrow 7;

FIG. 8 is a rear end elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, and showing a second means for mounting the grader on a tractor; and,

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 8, looking in the direction of the arrow marked 9.

Referring now to the drawings, an illustrative embodiment is shown which comprises a frame formed from a plurality of angle iron members or bars. As shown in FIGS 1 through 5, the aforementioned frame comprises the front, intermediate and rear transverse spaced apart angle irons 10, 11 and 12, respectively. As best seen in FIG. 1, the front angle iron 10 is disposed with its vertical leg toward the outer side of the frame or along the front edge of the frame. The intermediateangle iron 11 is disposed with its vertical leg facing towards the rear of the frame. The rear angle iron 12 is disposed with its vertical leg facing the rear of the frame and forming the rear edge of the frame. The grader frame further includes the left side angle iron 13 and the right "ice side angle iron 14 and these side angle irons are fixedly interconnected with the transverse angle irons 10, 11 and 12 by any suitable means, as by welding. The side angle irons 13 and 14 are disposed with the horizontal sides thereof resting on the top edges of the vertical legs of the transverse angle irons 10, 11 and 12. The grader frame further includes the two spaced apart longitudinally extended angle irons 15 and 16 which span the length of the frame and which have their horizontal legs disposed on the tops of the vertical legs of the transverse angle irons 10, 11 and 12, and which are fixedly secured thereto by any suitable means as by welding. The frame further includes the longitudinally disposed cross bars or braces 17 and 18 which are fixedly mounted in place as by welding between the vertical legs of the angle irons 10 and 11, and 11 and 12, respectively. It will be seen from FIG. 1 that the frame is wider along the rear end thereof. For example, in one grader the width along the front end was six feet and the width along the rear end was seven feet and the depth of the grader was two feet. In the aforementioned actual embodiment, the angle irons 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 were made from one and one-half inch angle iron. It will thus be seen that the side angle irons 13 and 14 taper forwardly and inwardly from the rear angle iron 12 to the front angle iron 10.

As best seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, each of the transverse angle irons 10, 11 and 12 is adapted to carry a plurality of detachably mounted vertical spike teeth 19. It will thus be seen that the grader includes a plurality of these spike teeth 19 which are spaced apart on each of their respective supporting angle irons. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, each of the spike teeth 19 is formed from half-inch square metal rods which are disposed with one of the sharp edges facing forwardly and which have the lower ends thereof tapered to a point as indicated by the numeral 20. Each of the spikes 19 is adapted to be slidably mounted through a square hole as 21 formed in their respective supporting angle irons. Each of the spikes 19 is detachably fixed in place by means of a U-bolt at 22, the legs of which extend through the vertical leg of each respective supporting angle iron. A spacer plate 23 is disposed between the vertical leg of each angle iron and each spike 19 and suitable lock nuts, as 24, are provided to retain the U- bolts in place to detachably hold the spikes 19 in an operative position. The spacers 23 are preferably square metal pieces made from quarter inch metal plates.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the grader apparatus includes a drag chain generally indicated by the numeral 25, and which is adapted to be dragged on the ground behind the grader frame so as to smooth the surface of the ground after it has been pulverized by the spike teeth 19. The drag chain 25 may also be used to pull dirt forward and backward by disposing this chain forwardly of the rear row of spike teeth 19 mounted on the rear angle iron 12. The drag chain 25 is connected at each end thereof to the outer ends of the rear angle iron 12 as follows. The outermost spike tooth 19 on each end of the rear angle iron 12 is secured in place with a U-bolt 22a which has longer extended ends 26 than the other U-bolts 22. A cross bar 27 is operatively mounted on the extended bolt ends 26 and is adapted to be passed through the last link of the chain 25 at each of the respective ends thereof before it is mounted on the extended U-bolt ends 26. Each of the cross bars 27 is held in place by suitable lock bolts as 28 threadably mounted on the outer ends of the U-bolt legs 26.

The grading apparatus of the present invention is adapted to be used with a tractor and FIGS. 6 and 7 show a means for mounting the apparatus on a tractor provided with a scraper and whereby it is not necessary to remove the scraper to use the grading apparatus. The numeral 29 generally indicates a tractor provided with a rearwardly extending boom 39 which is pivotally mounted toward the rearward end thereof by means of the integral cross shaft 31. The scraper, generally indicated by the numeral 32, is provided with a fixedly mounted collar 33 on the upper end thereof which is adapted to be fixed over the rearward end of the boom 30 and secured in place by any suitable means. The shaft 31 is provided with the outwardly extended reduced threaded ends 35 which are rotatably carried by the arms 34 which are fixed to the rear end of the tractor 29. The reduced shaft ends 35 thus form a pivot axis for the boom 30. The shaft 31 is retained in place on the fixed arms 34 by means of the lock nuts 36. The boom 30 is further supported by means of the brace 37, the lower end of which is hingedly connected to the plate 38 by means of the bolt 39 and nut 40. The plate 38 is fixedly secured to the upper side of the boom by any suitable means as by welding. The upper end of the brace 37 is hingedly mounted by the threaded pin 41 which carries the lock nut 42 for securing the brace 37 in place.

The apparatus is further provided with a draw bar 43 having the upper end thereof hingedly mounted on the threaded pin 41 and having the inner end thereof connected to a suitable power means (not shown) for rocking the boom about the pivot shafts 35. The front end of the grader is supported from the pivot shafts 35 by means of the yoke arms 44 and 45, the upper ends of which are hingedly carried on the pin 41 and the lower ends of which are hingedly connected to the front ends of the vertical legs of the angle irons 15 and 16, respectively. The lower end of the yoke arm 44 is hingedly connected to the angle iron 15 by means of the bolt 46 and nut 47. The lower end of the yoke arm 45 is singedly connected to the angle iron 16 by means of the bolt 48 and nut 49.

The rear end of the grading apparatus is releasably secured on the rear end of the boom 30 as follows. The angle irons 15 and 16 are provided with the slots 50 and 51 in the vertical leg portions thereof adjacent the rear ends thereof and the lower edge of the scraper 32 is adapted to be seated in these slots. The rear end of the grading apparatus is then releasably secured against the scraper 32 by means of the chains generally indicated by the numerals 52 and 53 and the chain tightener means generally indicated by the numeral 54. As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lower end of the chain 52 is secured to the rear end of the angle iron 16 by means of the bolt 55 and the nut 56. The upper end of the chain 52 passes upwardly over the boom 30 and is then connected to one end of a conventional chain tightener 54. The upper end of the chain 53 is connected to the other end of the chain tightener 54. The lower end of the chain 53 is connected to the angle iron 15 by means of the bolt 57 and the nut 58. It will be seen that the grading apparatus may be raised and lowered from the ground or down to the ground for a grading operation by means of the draw bar 43 pivoting the boom 30 about pivot shafts 35, whereby, the scraper 32 and the grading apparatus secured thereto will be raised or lowered into a desired operative or inoperative position.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a second means for supporting the grading apparatus from a tractor as 29a which is not provided with a scraper as 32. The tractor would still be provided with the usual draw bar and fixed supporting arms as 43a and 34a. The rear end of the grading apparatus would be hingedly supported from the hinge pin 41a by means of the yoke arms 59 and 60 which would be fixedly connected by means of the cross angle iron 61. The upper ends of the yoke arms 59 and 60 would be hingedly mounted on the pin 41a and the lower ends would be hingedly mounted on the rear ends of the angle irons 15 and 16 by means of suitable hinge pins as 62 and 63, respectively. The upper ends of the yoke arms 59 and 60 would be provided with suitable slots as 64. The front end of the grading apparatus would be swivelly connected to the pivot pins 65 and 65 carried by the fixed arms 3411 by means of the yoke arms 66 and 67, respectively. The upper ends of the yoke arms 66 and 67 would be hingedly supported by the hinge pin 41a. The lower ends of the yoke arms 66 and 67 would be hingedly connected to the front ends of the angle irons 15 and 16 by means of the hinge pins 68 and 69, re spectively. The yoke arms 66 and 67 may be fixedly connected together by means of the cross brace 70. The grading apparatus may be raised or lowered by means of the draw bar 38a pivoting the supporting yoke arms 66 and 67 about the pivot shafts 64 and 65.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

Earth working apparatus for use on a tractor vehicle, said apparatus comprising a polygonal harrow frame including front, rear and intermediate members terminally secured between opposed side members, means on said frame for mounting it on a tractor vehicle, elongated harrow teeth removably mounted on and depending from said front and intermediate members, at least said rear member comprising an L-shaped angle iron having a vertical and horizonal flange, said horizontal flange including longitudinally spaced apertures through which upper end portions of said harrow teeth extend, said vertical flange including a plurality of pairs of longitudinally spaced, transverse apertures, the apertures of each of the pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the upper end portions of an adjacent harrow tooth, a U-shaped bolt having a pair of elongated threaded leg portions, said U-shaped bolt extending around the upper end portions of one of said harrow teeth, said leg portions extending through one of said pairs of apertures in said vertical flange, means threadedly mounted on said leg portion for drawing said U-shaped bolt and harrow tooth toward said vertical flange, a cross bar removably mounted on said leg portions of said U-shaped bolt, means for retaining said cross bar on said leg portions, and flexible drag chain means including a terminal loop portion circumposed about said cross bar and retained thereby in the space formed by said leg portions and adjacent portion of said vertical flange, said drag chain means functioning to smooth the earth worked by said harrow teeth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,245,431 Boyd Nov. 6, 1917 2,210,223 Taylor Aug. 6, 1940 2,534,838 Wall Dec. 19, 1950 2,591,028 Udy Apr. 1, 1952 2,670,550 Bowen Mar. 2, 1954 2,710,467 Cundifi June 14, 1955 2,775,176 Gibson Dec. 25, 1956 2,787,847 Arps Apr. 9, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,902 Austria Oct. 10, 1904 

